You guys! Okay now I need to make some okra gel too. How does it compare to FSG? Shelly you mention it's not as clumpy. Does it have more hold while still leaving your hair soft? I like my hair to feel like hair which is why I stay away from hard hold gels. They don't like me.

Originally Posted by dusalocks

lol..sorry but I LOVE okra gel..the FSG just worked to well for clumps and it left my hair very coated feeling...so that’s why I tried the okra gel from BB...I fell it makes my hair "fluffy" but not frizzy..Just light and airy feeling..my hair is soft and shiny...I feel like I have less tangles when I go to wash it...it still can provide clumps but I have to encourage it...not like FSG, which "pulls" your hair into clumps...the hold for okra gel I feel is softer, which is why I like to have agave nectar added for more hold...I think if you have a strong curl pattern you wouldn’t need the extra hold...but with my weak waves, I feel it "sets" my curl pattern...

Originally Posted by shellyRN07swavy

I'm throwing agave in my next batch of FSG too for that reason. Hold. I thought about honey but seeing as how KCCC has agave and I bought a bottle of syrup 2 weeks ago it feels like it is time. I want to be able to use less FSG to set the curls and clumps like I do with KCCC so I figured I'd up the ante. I can't wait to make okra gel too now. Even if it doesn't promote clumps the way FSG does that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes you want looser curls and waves for a change.

I just felt FSG weighted my hair down and just coated my hair...had to shampoo more often...thus msking my hair dry and frizzy...while okra makes my hair fluffy...dosent give me more frizz..its hard to explain...now that I think about it...okra has protein...so I think the protein help give structure to my hair...thus providing some hold...but it has WAY more slip then fsg...which I love..and easy to cowash with..I still shampoo every third wash..but b/c I have horrible FL well water..I think you should give it a try..you have all the addins anyways...just need okra

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2b/c CG since 8/12
I have low porosity and fine/med texture. Easily weighed down and VERY frizzy crown, with straighter under layers

I just felt FSG weighted my hair down and just coated my hair...had to shampoo more often...thus msking my hair dry and frizzy...while okra makes my hair fluffy...dosent give me more frizz..its hard to explain...now that I think about it...okra has protein...so I think the protein help give structure to my hair...thus providing some hold...but it has WAY more slip then fsg...which I love..and easy to cowash with..I still shampoo every third wash..but b/c I have horrible FL well water..I think you should give it a try..you have all the addins anyways...just need okra

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Originally Posted by shellyRN07swavy

Oh I've noticed that too! FSG is hard when you just co-wash depending on how much you apply. My first week I was going to town with it then my hair got very tangly maybe over conditioned only it was hard to tell so I did a clarifying wash and it went back to normal and since then I've been more modest in my application and just sticking to my regular routine of co-wash, co-wash, low-poo. But I've been doing something different when I low poo where I glaze the body of my hair with SM Moisture Retention Shampoo and let that sit for a minute while I'm washing/massaging my scalp. Then I squish scrunch up and rinse thoroughly. I've also been using two new conditioners for the body of my hair since the weather has been so dry to keep my hair from drying out. So far my hair isn't any drier or more tangly but I think overall I may need to clarify more often with FSG since it is more difficult to rinse out. I've clarified every two months on average in my CG hair journey. Maybe now I'll have to do it every three weeks or month. I dunno. Listening to my hair. So yes, I guess I'm going to be whipping up two hair gels when my marshmallow root and EOs get here: FSG & Okra gel. Let the contest begin! I'll start a new thread to compare the two.

I have to ask--in your siggy you say you "wash" with Tea Tree Tingle? That's the shampoo right? Not the conidtioner? Because I use the shampoo to clarify and the conditioner to co-wash my scalp. I love them both. The conditioner more though.

Calling Curly Hair Pro Kathymack! How much horsetail do you use in your okra gel? My aunt gave me some horsetail tea she had sitting in her cabinet as soon as she saw I had my curly eye on it. Granted this is the tea. I figured I'd just infuse the water with it by boiling it in a tea strainer. Maybe a tea bag? A tea spoon?

Calling Curly Hair Pro Kathymack! How much horsetail do you use in your okra gel? My aunt gave me some horsetail tea she had sitting in her cabinet as soon as she saw I had my curly eye on it. Granted this is the tea. I figured I'd just infuse the water with it by boiling it in a tea strainer. Maybe a tea bag? A tea spoon?

I'm going to try the okra gel this weekend with just agave nectar...and like kathymack said...just add ingredients in as I see my hair needs them...okra has pretty good slip..and I believe the gel I have now dosent have marshmallow root as an add-in. .. or at least its not listed as such...ill see how the consistency is first...may not need to add a thickener...can't wait to experiment. ..

Sent from my SCH-I535 using CurlTalk App

2b/c CG since 8/12
I have low porosity and fine/med texture. Easily weighed down and VERY frizzy crown, with straighter under layers

I'm going to try the okra gel this weekend with just agave nectar...and like kathymack said...just add ingredients in as I see my hair needs them...okra has pretty good slip..and I believe the gel I have now dosent have marshmallow root as an add-in. .. or at least its not listed as such...ill see how the consistency is first...may not need to add a thickener...can't wait to experiment. ..

Sent from my SCH-I535 using CurlTalk App

Originally Posted by shellyRN07swavy

Exactly. Why pay good money for something that is so easy to make yourself?

Lately i've been on the mixtress train myself, and i'm currently working on a KCCC alternative recipe (17.00 for 8oz is killing me here..). I use marshmellow root steeped in hot distilled water and/or marshmellow root extract (Whole Paycheck carries it). Marshmellow for me does provide some moisture, but mostly I use it for its slip factor. It really doesn't provide a lot of shine for me.

Not to hijack a thread, but I have a question concerning FSG. I've noticed that it gives me major white flakes when I intially SOTC. Once I put some coconut oil on, the flakes disappear (mostly, a few like to straggle in the front of my hair). Also, I like the look of it the first day, but the hold seems to disappear after 5-8 hrs. Its not bad looking, but its not quite the hold I like that I get from KCCC. .

At first I thought that the aloe vera juice was causing the white flakes in my hair, so I reduced the amount in this FSG batch from 1 cup to 1 Tbsp, but nope.. still the same amount of flaking. Any suggestions? I don't necessarily want to give up on FSG but it needs a lot more hold and I hate the white flakes everywhere.

Hmm well I did not get around to making my FSG with marshmallow root today because I was busy but I will do tomorrow. So far the FSG recipe I do now is 4 tbsp flaxseeds to 2 cups of water. Boil roughly 7-10 minutes on medium-high heat. Strain. Add 1 tsp aloe vera gel, 1 tsp vitamin E oil and 4 drops lavender oil. That concoction hasn't produced any white flakes for me if that helps. But then I have high porosity hair so my hair tends to absorb everything. But I see from you siggy you are not low porosity. You say coconut oil helps get rid of the white flakes in your hair. How about adding a tsp of it to the mix like I add a tsp of vitamin E oil? Might help smooth or emulsify whatever mixture you've got going on.

That sounds like a good idea , next time I make FSG i'll add some coconut oil and see what happens. Yeah, I actually did do the livecurlylivefree hair analysis and it said I have normal porosity. However I think that i'm on the lower end of normal heading towards low. I find that my hair likes to dry FAST, like I can have soaking wet hair in the shower and come out, no squeezing out any water or towel or anything, and in about 15-30 min half of my hair will be somewhat damp. Whenever I do my hair I have to have a spray bottle of water nearby since my hair dries so fast and I like to apply product on very wet hair.

Just to further clarify about the flakes, when I first SOTC it looks like a white film all over my hair. As I try to scrunch any flakes out, well.. it flakes lol. But yeah any oil (coconut, grapseed, almond) will make most of the flakes disappear (as in the white film can't be seen anymore, but i'll still get flakes all over my shirt for the first day)

That sounds like a good idea , next time I make FSG i'll add some coconut oil and see what happens. Yeah, I actually did do the livecurlylivefree hair analysis and it said I have normal porosity. However I think that i'm on the lower end of normal heading towards low. I find that my hair likes to dry FAST, like I can have soaking wet hair in the shower and come out, no squeezing out any water or towel or anything, and in about 15-30 min half of my hair will be somewhat damp. Whenever I do my hair I have to have a spray bottle of water nearby since my hair dries so fast and I like to apply product on very wet hair.

Just to further clarify about the flakes, when I first SOTC it looks like a white film all over my hair. As I try to scrunch any flakes out, well.. it flakes lol. But yeah any oil (coconut, grapseed, almond) will make most of the flakes disappear (as in the white film can't be seen anymore, but i'll still get flakes all over my shirt for the first day)

Do low porosity types get flakes from FSG?

Originally Posted by CFcurls

Hair drying quickly is high porosity. Low porosity hair takes HOURS to dry even with scrunching out some water and diffusing for a little while. If your hair dries quickly, it would be more towards med/high than medium/low.

My low porosity hair doesn't flake from anything. It's been known to "foam" a little with certain products, but that goes away. Like most people with low porosity hair, I can't add/use straight oil/butter to SOTC (or anything else for that matter) it just sits on my hair.

To try to determine what ingredient is flaking, what else do you add besides AVG?

Hair drying quickly is high porosity. Low porosity hair takes HOURS to dry even with scrunching out some water and diffusing for a little while. If your hair dries quickly, it would be more towards med/high than medium/low.

My low porosity hair doesn't flake from anything. It's been known to "foam" a little with certain products, but that goes away. Like most people with low porosity hair, I can't add/use straight oil/butter to SOTC (or anything else for that matter) it just sits on my hair.

To try to determine what ingredient is flaking, what else do you add besides AVG?

Originally Posted by kathymack

Oops, hehe I got that porosity backwards about hair drying then. For some reason I always thought it was the opposite way.. no idea why

For my FSG I use: herbal infusion w/ 2 cups distilled water of nettle, rosemary, chamomile, marshmellow; 1 tsp of aloe vera juice, 1/2 cup flaxseeds, 1/2 tsp honey. That's about it.. I use the honey for the hold right now but I ordered honeyquat to replace it.

Sidenote: I'm really interested in the sea kelp bioferment and I want to buy that too. I've read that many people like it better than seaemollient for their hair. I really want to see how it would work in FSG.

Also Kathy, what exactly does sucragel aof do for you? Does it provide hold? Or is it more a humectant sort of thing? I've read the info about it, but I still am confused about its usage in gels and I have only seen information about it being in some shampoos like Burt's Bees.

I have very fine hair but med/low porosity...and I could NEVER use any type of oil...even oil in conditioner or styling products... if used on a regular basis would cause build up on my hair...My hair just does not absorb it...I wonder if the honey might be flaking?...or like Dusalocks said just add small amount of coconut oil to your batch...Good luck...lets us know what you decided

2b/c CG since 8/12
I have low porosity and fine/med texture. Easily weighed down and VERY frizzy crown, with straighter under layers

Sidenote: I'm really interested in the sea kelp bioferment and I want to buy that too. I've read that many people like it better than seaemollient for their hair. I really want to see how it would work in FSG.

Also Kathy, what exactly does sucragel aof do for you? Does it provide hold? Or is it more a humectant sort of thing? I've read the info about it, but I still am confused about its usage in gels and I have only seen information about it being in some shampoos like Burt's Bees.

Originally Posted by CFcurls

You peaked by interest. Had to buy a bunch of the sea kelp bioferment after reading about it.

I did put a little SeaMollient in my FSG that I used this morning. I forget about it because you can't freeze it. Got compliments on my "beautiful" curls from a stranger while out shopping, even though my hair quite dry--so I guess that's a good thing.

As far as the Sucragel AOF goes, I really love it. According to the literature, it's supposed to provide," thickening to the product, emulsion stabilization, mild cleansing and for leave on products, impart hydration to the skin and hair through the attraction and binding of water molecules to the humectant sugar molecules." It definitely provides the thickening and emulsifying. I think it also provides shine, which is rare for my blond, highlighted hair.

Shelly - I think I will just make 2 batches of FSG and try one with honey and oil and just one without honey to see if the honey is causing the flaking. I have suspected it from the 2-3 batches i've done so far, but at the same time it seems like most gels cause my hair to flake. I think eco-styler krystal, KCCC, and smooth n shine curl activating gel are the only ones that cause little to no flaking (with the smooth and shine never flaking in my hair, but its a little heavy.)

Kathy - Let me know how you like the Sea Kelp Bioferment , there have been some ladies that have said they use that alone and it works for them perfectly, it was in this thread:

Also, very interesting on the Sucragel. I really would like my FSG to be a little bit thicker, its kind of hard to handle being so gloopy and it makes a mess in my bathroom, and shine.. I WANT SHINE , totally going to buy some tomorrow when I get paid

Shelly - I think I will just make 2 batches of FSG and try one with honey and oil and just one without honey to see if the honey is causing the flaking. I have suspected it from the 2-3 batches i've done so far, but at the same time it seems like most gels cause my hair to flake. I think eco-styler krystal, KCCC, and smooth n shine curl activating gel are the only ones that cause little to no flaking (with the smooth and shine never flaking in my hair, but its a little heavy.)

Kathy - Let me know how you like the Sea Kelp Bioferment , there have been some ladies that have said they use that alone and it works for them perfectly, it was in this thread:

Also, very interesting on the Sucragel. I really would like my FSG to be a little bit thicker, its kind of hard to handle being so gloopy and it makes a mess in my bathroom, and shine.. I WANT SHINE , totally going to buy some tomorrow when I get paid

Originally Posted by CFcurls

Not to get off topic (will have to start an nc.com thread when my SKB arrives), but I found that thread really interesting. My hair grows quickly, but I've lost a lot of density between thyroid and the side effect of a medication I take.

One thing that I forgot to mention about the Sucragel AOF. When I've used FSG with it added, and it rains, my hair has gotten damp and dried nicely--no additional frizz or expansion.